Spotting wildflowers on our weekends away
In September and October Mike and I went on various trips in Ethel the campervan and were lucky with the weather!
Early Sept – by the Great Ouse river in St Neots Cambridgeshire
We took the van to a peaceful riverside location and went for walks along the banks.
Willow trees – Salix
These wetland species were all around us at the campsite. I’m afraid I’m not much of a tree buff!
![willow trees mike breakfast st neots cambs sep 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/willow-trees-mike-breakfast-st-neots-cambs-sep-2021-600x395.jpg)
![St neots Great Ouse river Sept 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/St-neots-river-Sept-2021-600x338.jpg)
Water Mint – Mentha aquatica
This lovely display was in Paxton Pits nature reserve.
![water mint mentha aquatica st neots cambs sep 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/water-mint-mentha-aquatica-st-neots-cambs-sep-2021-600x450.jpg)
![butterfly on water mint mentha aquatica st neots cambs sep 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/butterfly-on-water-mint-mentha-aquatica-st-neots-cambs-sep-2021-600x338.jpg)
Indian Balsam – Impatiens glandulifera
This photo shows the toothed leaves and undeveloped seed pods of this invasive pink riverside flower.
![Indian Balsam toothed leaves Impatiens glandulifera st neots cambs sep 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Indian-Balsam-toothed-leaves-Impatiens-glandulifera-st-neots-cambs-sep-2021-600x450.jpg)
Late Sept by the sea at Herne Bay Kent
I visited my friend Mercy the horticulturalist at the end of Sept and her strange posture indicates that we were hunting fossilised sharks teeth at Beltinge.
![mercy hunting sharks teeth herne bay sep 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/mercy-hunting-sharks-teeth-herne-bay-sep-2021-600x450.jpg)
Rock Samphire – Crithmum maritimum
She pointed out this Rock Samphire which was indeed growing amongst the rocks.
![Rock samphire plant Crithmum maritimum herne bay kent sept 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rock-samphire-plant-Crithmum-maritimum-herne-bay-kent-sept-2021-600x450.jpg)
Early Oct Folkestone in Kent
Another trip with Ethel, this time to a seaside campsite.
Travellers Joy – Clematis vitalba
I had recently seen this common clematis in flower in Seaford, now its fluffy seed heads were evident.
![travellers joy clematis vitalba Folkestone Kent Oct 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/travellers-joy-clematis-vitalba-Folkestone-Kent-Oct-2021-600x450.jpg)
Studland Peninsula Dorset late Oct
The weather was getting colder so we spent more time inside the van.
![Supper inside the van Oct 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Supper-inside-the-van-Oct-2021-600x450.jpg)
But in the morning we braved the cold to have breakfast outside in the sunshine, and came across five deer grazing. Here are two of them (that’s not our van by the way).
![deer Corfe Castle campsite Dorset Oct 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/deer-Corfe-Castle-campsite-Dorset-Oct-2021-600x275.jpg)
![Brownsea Island from Studland Peninsula Dorset Oct 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Brownsea-Island-from-Studland-Peninsula-Dorset-Oct-2021-600x337.jpg)
Ling Heather – Calluna vulgaris
![Heather Studland Peninsula Dorset Oct 2021](https://photographingwildflowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Heather-Studland-Peninsula-Dorset-Oct-2021-600x450.jpg)
Read about another riverside stay where we saw Balsam – this time orange.
I’ve done a lot of wildflower spotting in Herne Bay and the North Kent coast.